It would be Roger, I thought, and felt a lifting of my heart. Roger and the children.
The fire was licking at the tin kettle; I lifted the lid and shredded a good handful of mint leaves into the waterfirst shaking the stems to dislodge any hitchhikers. The rest I bound with a twist of thread and hung among the other herbs suspended from the rafters of my makeshift surgerythis consisting of four poles with a lattice laid across the top, covered with hemlock branches for shade and shelter. I had two stoolsone for me and one for the patient of the momentand a small, crudely built table to hold whatever implements I needed to have easily to hand.
Jamie had put up a canvas lean-to beside the shelter, to provide privacy for such cases as required it, and also as storage for food or medicines kept in raccoon-proof casks, jars, or boxes.
It was rural, rustic, and very romantic. In a bug-ridden, grimy-ankled, exposed-to-the-elements, occasional-creeping-sensation-on-the-back-of-the-neck-indicating-that-you-were-being-eyed-up-by-something-considering-eating-you sort of way, but still.
I cast a longing look at the new foundation.
The house would have two handsome fieldstone chimneys; one had been halfway built and stood sturdy as a monolith amid the framing timbers of what would shortlyI hopedbe our kitchen and eating space. Jamie had assured me that he would frame the large room and tack on a temporary canvas roof within the next few weeks, so we could resume sleeping and cooking indoors. The rest of the house
That might depend on whatever grandiose notions he and Brianna had conceived during their conversation the night before. I seemed to recall wild remarks about concrete and indoor plumbing, which I rather hoped wouldnt take root, at least not until we had a roof over our heads and a floor under our feet. On the other hand
The sound of voices on the path below indicated that my expected company had arrived, and I smiled. On the other hand, wed have two more pairs of experienced and competent hands to help with the building.
Jems disheveled red head popped into view, and he broke into a huge grin at sight of me.
Grannie! he shouted, and brandished a slightly mangled corn dodger. We brought you breakfast!
THEY HAD BROUGHT me breakfast, lavish by my present standards: two fresh corn dodgers, griddled sausage patties wrapped in layers between burdock leaves, a boiled egg, still hot, and a quarter inch of Amys last years huckleberry jam, in the bottom of its jar.
Mrs. Higgins says to send back the empty jar, Jemmy informed me, handing it over. Only one eye was on the jar; the other was on the Big Log, which had been hidden by darkness the night before. Wow! What kind of tree is that?
Poplar, I said, closing my eyes in ecstasy at the first bite of sausage. The Big Log was roughly sixty feet long. It had been a good bit longer before Jamie had scavenged wood from the top for building and fires. Your grandfather says it was likely more than a hundred feet tall before it fell.
Mandy was trying to get up onto the log; Jem gave her a casual boost then leaned over to look down the length of the trunk, mostly smooth and pale but scabbed here and there with remnants of bark and odd little forests of toadstools and moss.
Did it blow down in a storm?
Yes, I said. The top had been struck by lightning, but I dont know whether that was the same storm that knocked it down. It might have died because of the lightning and then the next big storm blew it over. We found it like this when we came back to the Ridge. Mandy, be careful there!
Shed scrambled to her feet and was walking along the trunk, arms stretched out like a gymnast, one foot in front of the other. The trunk was a good five feet in diameter at that point; there was plenty of room atop it, but it would be a hard bump if she fell off.
Here, sweetheart. Roger, who had been looking at the house site with interest, came over and plucked her off the log. Why dont you and Jem go gather wood for Grannie? Dye remember what good firewood looks like?
Aye, of course. Jem looked lofty. Ill show her how.
I knows how! Mandy said, glowering at him.
You have to look out for snakes, he informed her.
She perked up at once, pique forgotten. Wanna see a snake!
Jem Roger began, but Jemmy rolled his eyes.
I know, Dad, he said. If I find a little one, Ill let her touch it, but not if its got rattles or a cotton mouth.
Oh, Jesus, Roger muttered, watching them go off hand in hand.
I swallowed the last of the corn dodgers, licked sugary jam from the corner of my mouth, and gave him a sympathetic look.
Nobody died the last time you lived here, I reminded him. He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again, and I remembered. Mandy nearly had died last time. Which meant that whatever had made them come back now
Its all right, he said firmly, in answer to what must have been a very apprehensive look on my face. He smiled a little and took me by the elbow, drawing me into the shade of my surgery.
Its okay, he said, and cleared his throat. Were okay, he said, more loudly. Were all here and sound. Nothing else matters right now.